All flights grounded at US airports due to 'extraordinary circumstances'

It is the first nationwide ground stop since January 2023 (Ross D Franklin/AP)

The US Federal Aviation Administration has grounded all flights nationwide because of communications problems at regional air traffic control centres.

The FAA notice said the ground stop was being imposed “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety”.

The announcement means flights in the air may land, but flights on the ground cannot take off.

Shortly before the announcement, the FAA halted traffic in Chicago due to air traffic control communications issues. 

The agency said, "All departing traffic should remain groundstopped until further notice." 

The FAA said international flights will be managed on a case-by-case basis.

Transportation secretary Sean Duffy said there is a communications issue affecting the regional air traffic control centres that direct planes between airports nationwide.

He said FAA technicians are investigating.

Friday was the second nationwide ground stop of all departures since the September 11, 2001, attacks. 

The situation previously occurred in January 2023, when the FAA paused all domestic departures for less than two hours.

Last year, Congress approved $12.5bn to fix the FAA's ageing communications system.

On Friday the FAA and White House asked Congress for another $30.1bn to address other issues.